The skin is our largest organ and so it is common that we have a variety of health issues associated with the organ. Understanding the skin, the most common health issues associated and how raw foods can help will work to your advantage.

Skin is the largest organ covering your entire body accounting for 16% of your body weight and varying in thickness from .5mm on your eyelids to 4mm on the palms of your hands. It consists of two layers, the outer epidermis and inner dermis. New cells are continually being formed in the epidermis and pushed to the surface where they die and become filled with keratin to protect the deeper cells from damage. These dead cells are constantly being shed and replaced so that effectively every month your body has a new epidermis.

The inner dermis is made of strong collagen and elastic fibres pierced by blood vessels. It contains all the touch, pressure and pain sensors and is packed with hair follicles, sweat and oil glands to keep the skin soft.

The skin's blood vessels, sweat glands and hairs regulate the body's temperature by widening to enable heat to escape or narrowing to trap warm air round the body.

Your skin colour is determined by the melanocytes, which produce melanin. Fair skinned people have less melanin than those with darker skin. Freckles and moles are patches of skin with more melanin than the surrounding area. As we age the collagen and elastic fibres decrease making the skin become less elastic and wrinkle.

So how does our skin cope with the 21st century lifestyle? The main problem is poor skin sometimes results in acne, particularly amongst young people, which is a direct result of an unhealthy diet most of us have started to include too many fast foods full of fat and sugar. Smoking and drinking is also extremely bad for the skin, robbing it of vital nutrients. Another skin condition that's becoming more common is eczema, which is often experienced by asthmatics.

Poor skin reflects a poor diet and today's foods have become more refined e.g. white flour, bread, pasta. Instead of drinking water, many people choose instead tea, coffee and soft drinks which deplete energy and can damage the skin.

Switching to a raw foods diet has been successful in treating many skin conditions because cooking food kills the enzymes as well as 50% of the proteins and 75% of the vitamins and minerals.

The best diet for healthy skin is a balanced diet rich in antioxidants such as vitamins A, B C and E. These vitamins all help the skin to repair itself, to stay moist and to produce enzymes that stabilise collagen production. If you incorporate the following foods into your diet, your skin will definitely look and feel younger and healthier:

• Enzyme rich foods
• Sprouts
• Papaya
• Pineapple
• Antioxidants
• Blueberries
• Citrus fruits
• Oranges
• Lemons
• Grapefruit
• Beta Carotene rich foods for protection from the sun
• Carrots
• Apricots
• Foods rich in CoQ10 to slow aging
• Spinach
• Broccoli
• Peanuts
• Alpha-lipoic acid for boosting strength of other antioxidants
• Spinach
• Broccoli
• Tomatoes
• Peas
• Sulfur for healthy skin to improve skin conditions
• Asparagus
• Broccoli
• Hemp seeds
• Pumpkin seeds
• Red pepper
• Garlic
• Onion
• Watercress
• Kale
• Silicon to replace silicon lost with age
• Apples
• Oranges
• Cherries
• Grapes
• Strawberries
• Beetroot
• Cucumber
• Carrots
• Green leafy vegetables
• Phytochemicals to protect skin against damage
• Berries
• Broccoli
• Celery
• Carrots
• Cocoa
• Bell pepper

The beauty of a raw foods diet for the skin is that it increases your detoxification rate. Make sure you drink plenty of water along with adding these foods into your diet.

Believe it or not you can actually use raw food directly on your skin to make it healthier. Try these lime juice ideas. Lime juice is an important natural aid for healthy skin.

1. For very oily skin:

   Squeeze lemon juice in a bowl of iced water. Splash this over the face, massage for five minutes and then wash off with water.

2. To improve a dull and greasy complexion:

   Mix half teaspoon of lime juice with one teaspoon of cucumber juice and a few drops of rose water. Apply on the face and neck and leave on for 15 minutes. Remove with water.

3. To improve a dry and rough skin:

   Take an avocado and mix in a few drops of lime and olive oil. Spread on the face and leave it till the skin feels dry. Wash off with ordinary water and splash on cold water.

4. To relieve tired eyes:

   Take four tablespoons each of lime juice and iced water. Saturate cotton pads in this water and place over your closed eyelids for 10 minutes.

By TTS Cofounder Botanical Chef Omid Jaffari